Courtesy of JNS. Photo credit: Lebanese Presidency Press Office
U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack (left) and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, on July 7, 2025
(JNS) — United States Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack confirmed on Thursday that he had participated in a landmark meeting between Israeli and Syrian officials in Paris earlier in the day.
It was the first time that officials from Israel and Syria sat down since a ceasefire was declared on July 19, although they held secret talks in Azerbaijan earlier this year.
“I met this evening with the Syrians and Israelis in Paris,” Barrack posted on social media. “Our goal was dialogue and de-escalation, and we accomplished precisely that. All parties reiterated their commitment to continuing these efforts.”
While Barrack did not say who participated in the meeting, a government source told JNS on Friday that Israel had been represented by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer while Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani led the Syrian delegation.
The unprecedented talks came six days after Barrack announced that Israel and Syria had agreed to a ceasefire following several days of massacres carried out by Sunni jihadists loyal to Damascus against the Druze minority in Sweida Province.
Hikmet Hajiyev, assistant to Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, confirmed to JNS on July 20 that Baku had hosted discreet talks between Israel and Syria earlier this year, but did not say when these took place.
